Geoff Johns steps down as President and CCO of DC Entertainment , Jim Lee promoted to Chief Creative Officer

It was announced yesterday that Geoff Johns has stepped down as the President and CCO of DC Entertainment. Instead of moving on, he will now work exclusively for DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. to create content across multiple divisions under his new production banner Mad Ghost Productions.

“I took on a role at DCE because I love the characters and this universe more than anything. But, I want to spend my days writing and on set. I’m thrilled to get back to a more hands-on creative role. It’s a dream job on dream projects, reaching even deeper into DC’s vast pantheon of characters,” said Johns. “I’m also excited to continue to work with the amazing team at DCE and my colleagues at Warner Bros.”

Under the terms of the new deal, Johns will “create content across multiple divisions of the Studio, including films, television, and comic books, based on current DC properties as well as new and reimagined IP. ” Since we are talking about multiple divisions, DC Entertainment shares a few of his current projects:

One of Johns’ first film projects for Warner Bros. Pictures will bee the Green Lanter Corps. This movie has been long requested by fans, and considering Johns’ nine-year run saw the return of Hal Jordan and the highly popular Sinestro Corps War, it makes sense this would be his first project under the new deal. If you are someone who likes to dive deep into the realm of rumors, there is talk that the studio is going for a “younger” John Stewart.

However, before we see Green Lantern Corps hit the big screen, Johns’ Aquaman (co-writer and executive producer) lands on December 21st, Wonder Woman (writer/executive producer) lands in November 2019, and Shazam!, based on his original graphic novel arrives in April 2019. The success of these movies will no doubt have an impact on the future of the Green Lantern Corps, and the future of Mad Ghost Productions as a production house for the WB.

So what about television? Geoff Johns will serve as the co-developer and executive producer and writer on the upcoming Titans series for the DC streaming service. Johns has written an episode of Titans called Doom Patrol, which will spin off into its own 13-episode series on the service. Doom Patrol was already announced a couple of months ago, so that is not exactly new news. From what I have heard from DC, Johns will also continue to work with Berlanti Productions on The CW DC Comics series.

On the comic book side, Johns will launch his own comic banner, “The Killing Zone” focusing on new and lesser-known DC characters and titles. As the Shazam! movie gets closer, Johns will write a new series for that character. DC plans to have that series out by the Fall. In addition to continuing (finishing?) Doomsday Clock, which is already off of its already janky release schedule, he will also pen Three Jokers with artist Jason Fabok.

Are you overly thrilled with The Killing Zone title? I don’t think I’m fully bought into the idea of the name, as it does invoke a movie from the ’80s, and it also brings about a feeling of extreme machoness. Also, when you are talking about comic book characters like Shazam! I’m not sure you want The Killing Zone that close to that name names. Some of you may think it is the most awesome kick-ass company name in the world, and that is why there is a comment section for you to share your thoughts. Others of you may even hate the name more than I do, which is also why there is a comment section for you to share your thoughts with those on the other side of the fence.

It’s been a crazy two weeks for DC Entertainment. First, it was the news Diane Nelson was leaving the company, then the relaunch and rebranding of Vergito, which includes game creator Zoe Quinn joining the company as a writer, and now Johns is leaving his position to return to writing and producing. It may lead you to question, “What is really going on at DC Comics?”

Honestly, DC Comics is just turning the page to another chapter in what it needs to do next. While there were periods that lasted decades (the Silver Age started at DC and ran until Crisis on Infinite Earths), today a company like DC can’t drift and hope for the best. Changing things up is the best way to find new audiences, attract the lapsed reader, and make new and bold statements on how stories with their characters (new and old) can be told. instead of a 20-plus year run, the change from the New 52 today is much shorter. DC needs to launch DC Ink, DC Zoom, and The KZ. While Johns may not be the President and CCO, DC Comics will continue.

And speaking of continuing, DC Entertainment Publisher Jim Lee has been promoted to Chief Creative Officer, and will continue to serve as co-publisher with Dan DiDio.

This is a lot of news to digest. Take a few minutes, take a deep breath, and then share your thoughts in the comment section below. Rest assured, Dear Spoilerite, this is not the end of DC Entertainment, this is only the beginning of the next chapter.

About Author

Stephen Schleicher began his career writing for the Digital Media Online community of sites, including Digital Producer and Creative Mac covering all aspects of the digital content creation industry. He then moved on to consumer technology, and began the Coolness Roundup podcast. A writing fool, Stephen has freelanced for Sci-Fi Channel's Technology Blog, and Gizmodo. Still longing for the good ol' days, Stephen launched Major Spoilers in July 2006, because he is a glutton for punishment.
You can follow him on Twitter @MajorSpoilers and tell him your darkest secrets...